Posts from Recipe

Sometimes a basic vinaigrette just won't do. Sometimes we need a velvety, creamy dressing drizzled on our greens. And yet ranch dressing can sometimes feel a little...how do I say this...a little salad-bar-at-the-steakhouse? Occasionally, yes, I love it. But this dressing, well, this has a little more oo-la-la in its favor. And it's so, so easy.

You may remember from last week that I've been involved in the creation of a meal around a very challenging theme: space. Last week I shared with you the Tang Cocktail that kicked off the evening. Today, I'm sharing the dessert.

This dinner had been an auction item at a fundraiser for my daughter's school, and in addition to the space theme, the friend who ultimately bought this dinner also wanted to celebrate her partner's birthday. My challenge was the cake. The birthday fellow liked chocolate pudding and didn't want a "big birthday cake," and he was also keen on the idea of recreating a modernized version of the menu from Nixon's state dinner in 1969 celebrating the astronauts of Apollo 11.

Chewy, flaky, and savory scallion pancakes are one of our very favorite Chinese restaurant treats. This pan-fried bread has a lot in common with Indian parathas and other simple flatbreads, and if you follow a few simple steps, they are easy to make at home. Here are instructions on how to make addictively delicious Chinese scallion pancakes in your home kitchen!

Cookie dough is somewhat of a siren song in my life. It calls and beckons to me, singing its sweet melody of ooey-gooey comfort. It lures me in. I grab a spoon. Powerless. The next thing you know, the bowl is empty and there are no cookies to bake. Can you relate?

Thankfully, I’ve devised a way to get my cookie dough fix that doesn’t involve sitting in a dark corner with a spoon. These (intentionally) raw cookie dough bites are packed with protein and fiber, sweetened with maple syrup, and will knock out your Cookie Monster cravings quicker than you can say “om nom nom."

What meal wouldn't be a little happier with some crispy, crunchy, garlic-infused pita toasts? From a ho-hum lunch salad to a simple chicken dinner, allow me to offer up this simple side dish as a way to perk up your plate. As long as you have a few rounds of pita bread and some stray cloves of garlic hanging around, pita toasts are just minutes away.

Let's add something new to our weeknight meal rotation, shall we? This dish of pan-seared shrimp served over a saucy mix of beans, spinach, and tomatoes is perfect for those nights when you crave a grown-up meal, but lack the energy for anything elaborate. It's quick, forgiving of end-of-day bloopers, and 100% satisfying.

Frozen pizzas have their time and place, such as back-up meals when we don't have time to shop, and as easy heat-and-serve dinners for babysitters. Nothing wrong with a good store-bought frozen pizza in these situations, but making your own homemade frozen pizzas from scratch will probably save you some pennies — plus you get exactly the toppings you want!

It's easy to do: just two little tricks and you can fill your freezer with all the made-ahead frozen pizzas you could ever want.

Long before juice joints and farm-to-table salad bars made their way to campus dining halls, I found myself in a "heated" romance with my freshman dorm's battered communal microwave. (Don't worry, we weren't exclusive.) Parked right next to that ticking time bomb was the vending machine of my 18-year-old dreams. It was stocked to the brim with every sodium-laden, powdered-cheese junk food you could think of with plenty of sugary treats to spare.

Too bad I only had eyes for one thing, and my E.T. finger never failed me the many, many times I dialed myself up a Hot Pocket prize.

Not so long ago I ate dinner at Co., the New York pizza place owned by Jim Lahey (he of the Sullivan Street Bakery and No-Knead Bread). There's a pie on the menu called The Popeye that comes with a mountain of crispy, leafy spinach on top. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it in the weeks since that dinner, so what's a pie-loving gal to do but make her own version at home?

The bok choy at my local Japanese market looked so fresh and green the other day that I had to pick some up. I also scored a few packets of fresh udon noodles and a bunch of spring onions. Cooked in some chicken broth back home, I had a very satisfying bowl of soup within 15 minutes of walking in the door.